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RESOLUTION R-1617-28: A RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NORMAN, OKLAHOMA, ACCEPTING THE MAIN STREET AND GRAY STREET TWO-WAY IMPLEMENTATION STUDY DATED AUGUST 2, 2016.
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BACKGROUND: Main Street in Downtown Norman was originally constructed as a two-way street with two traffic lanes (one per direction) and on-street parking (60-degree angle). The roadway was reconfigured in the 1950’s to include four substandard traffic lanes (two per direction) that were only 9-foot wide (lane width is typically 12 feet). Prior to the conversion from two-way to the current one way system, the block between Peters Avenue and Crawford Avenue was the most accident prone segment of roadway in the City of Norman.
In 1968, City Council approved a contract with Wilbur Smith and Associates to develop a Traffic Operations Improvement Program. One of the recommendations was to convert traffic flow on Main Street and Gray Street from two-way to one-way. The final report stated:
“To ensure the continued viability and growth of the Downtown area of Norman, it is essential that improved traffic operations be provided. The increasing traffic demand requires the maximum efficiency and capacity be realized from the existing street system through the application of traffic engineering operational improvements such as effective traffic signal system control, one-way operation, parking regulation, turning movement control, and intersection channelization.”
The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 focused attention on increasing operational efficiency of existing street and highway systems in urban areas by initiating “TOPICS, a Traffic Operations Program to Increase Capacity and Safety. A TOPICS Program for Norman was developed by Pinnell - Anderson - Wilshire and Associates of Dallas, Texas. The Plan was completed in March of 1971 and was accepted by Council resolution on May 4, 1971. Norman TOPICS identified Main Street, between University Boulevard and Porter Avenue, as the most accident prone segment of roadway in the City of Norman. Head-in parking was identified as the major cause of the collisions and the plan recommended conversion to parallel parking.
On April 17-18, 1974, the Norman Chamber of Commerce held a Board retreat and voted unanimously (39 members) to approve the conversion of Main Street and Gray Street from two-way to one-way flow. On May 21, 1974, City Council voted unanimously to approve the conversion. On August 15, 1974, Main Street and Gray Street became one-way.
On March 27, 1990, City Council received a petition from Ms. Marti Lance, 214 East Main Street, requesting that traffic patterns on Main Street and Gray Street be returned to two-way. The request included a petition signed by 171 citizens
On March 29, 1990, Dr. James Gattis, PhD., Professor of Civil Engineering at the University of Oklahoma, offered his professional opinion on the proposed change to Mr. Gene Blair, owner of the property located at 226 East Main Street, and the City of Norman. In the letter, Dr. Gattis stated:
“Conversion of Main/Gray to two-way operation would constitute a major step backward for both the general public’s traffic mobility and for business access to the properties along Main and Gray. Norman has had a shortage of funds to improve transportation facilities, but the Main/Gray pair is one of Norman’s bright spots. The current one-way operation is much more desirable than the two way operation.”
On April 5, 1990, after becoming aware of the initiative to convert Main Street and Gray Street to two-way flow, Mr. Mack R. McGuckin, President of the Norman Downtown Association at the time, submitted a letter voicing objection over the conversion. His letter included a copy of a survey of 65 Downtown property owners submitted by Mr. James R. Adair objecting to the change.
On November 13, 2001, City Council approved Contract K-0102-81 with Cobb Engineering Company of Oklahoma City to provide engineering services for the preparation of a Downtown Traffic Study to specifically look at the one-way - two-way situation.
On January 15, 2002, City Council met in Study Session to discuss the Cobb Engineering study results, findings and recommendations. The study concluded that in order to maintain adequate traffic operations on Main Street and Gray Street under the two-way scenario, five traffic lanes would be required on both facilities and the current angle parking converted to parallel parking. At the conclusion of the Study Session, Council chose to keep Main Street and Gray Street as a one-way couplet.
On November 13, 2012, City Council approved contract K-1213-86 with Freese & Nichols, in the amount of $300,000, for the development of the City’s first Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP). The contract provided a framework for the development and implementation of an efficient and comprehensive transportation system within Norman and its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Freese & Nichols performed exceptionally well throughout the program. The plan was completed in the spring of 2014 and was adopted by City Council on May 14, 2014.
On July 8, 2014, City Council approved Amendment No. 1 to Contract No. K-1213-86, in the amount of $20,595.84, between the City of Norman and Freese & Nichols, for services related to the evaluation and modeling of different design alternatives for the West Lindsey Street Bond Project as part of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan.
Also in the spring of 2014, area stakeholders and members of the community at large began a series of discussions on a development and redevelopment vision for the immediate area around Campus Corner, including the Downtown area of West Main Street (Center City Visioning). A citizens committee reflective of the diverse interests of the University Of Oklahoma, Campus Corner and Downtown Business Communities, the neighborhoods, and the City was to facilitate the development of a community vision for the area and to oversee implementation of the necessary policies to realize the vision. The process resulted in a series of recommendations that affect Main Street and Gray Street. Specifically:
• The conversion of Main Street and Gray Street from one-way to two-way flow
• Main Street - from three lanes eastbound to one lane eastbound, one lane westbound and a two-way continuous left turn lane.
• Gray Street - from three westbound lanes to one lane eastbound, one lane westbound and a landscaped median.
The Center City Visioning process was informed by the City’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan (CTP) and vice versa. Although the City’s CTP maintains the Main Street / Gray Street one-way couplet, it also made provisions for further evaluation of a two-way conversion by stating in Chapter 2 - Local Mobility and Safety for Core Norman, the following accession:
“A current City Center Visioning effort to plan for a revitalized Downtown and connection to Campus Corner is very interested in modifying Main and Gray Streets to better complement the intended look and feel of Downtown. Concepts to convert the pair back to two-way streets target several benefits including: promoting a more walkable environment, establishing critical mass to support other transportation options such as commuter rail and biking, taking advantage of the roadway grid network to slow down traffic and create a pedestrian friendly atmosphere, and creating a range of land uses aimed at reducing vehicular trips. As this visioning effort proceeds, the CTP needs to be flexible to incorporate the consensus Downtown Vision regarding context sensitive transportation solutions.
If the City of Norman chooses to further pursue the conversion of Main and Gray Streets to the two-way configuration, it is recommended that an engineering feasibility analysis be completed to include traffic and safety impacts, multimodal opportunities, parking implications, infrastructure impacts and costs as well as other challenges and opportunities. The cost of such a feasibility analysis is estimated to be less than $100,000 due to the availability of data and technical information included in this Plan as well as previous studies of the corridor.”
On June 23, 2015, City Council approved Amendment No. 2 to Contract No. K-1213-86 with Freese & Nichols for the purpose of studying how Main and Gray Street could best be converted to two-way streets, including study of the impacts and the infrastructure upgrades that would be required. A map of the study area is attached.
The study team worked with community members who volunteered as a focus group to discuss attributes of Downtown activities and traffic conditions. These individuals provided valuable input into the formation of project goals and objectives, feedback on presentations of analyses, and comments on recommendations of the study. Specific members of the Focus Group were Ashley Adair Garner, Adair and Associates, Fall Fest Organizer; Brent Swift, Brent Swift Design Biuld; Ed Copelin, Copelin’s Office Supply and Kidoodles Toys; Matt Robinson, First Fidelity Bank; Brady Sexton, Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails; Sam Talley, Attorney; Steve Calonkey, Mr. Roberts Furniture; and Nick Migliorino, Norman Public Schools. Ashley Adair- Garner and Matt Robinson are also Board members of Norman Downtowners Association,
City Council met in a Council Conference on July 12, 2016 and in a Study Session on August 2, 2016 and were presented with the Main and Gray Street Two-Way Implementation Study and a summary of its recommendations, and requested that Staff prepare a resolution expressing formal acceptance of the study.
DISCUSSION: Amendment No. 2 to Contract K-1213-86 required Freese & Nichols to determine an approach for converting the Main and Gray Streets from a pair of one-way streets to two-way streets. The streets under study extend from University Boulevard to Porter Avenue through downtown Norman. The purpose of this study is to develop two-way alternatives that would maintain acceptable flow of traffic along Main and Gray Streets while creating a less intense traffic environment befitting the Downtown as a destination.
Conversion of Main Street and Gray Street to two-way operation is feasible using the existing three lanes of pavement currently provided. Keeping the conversion within the footprint of the existing three travel lanes will save costs and construction impacts to Downtown businesses. The provision of one lane in each direction with a dedicated left turn lane at intersections, preserving existing angled parking, will be an effective treatment that will suit the character of the Downtown street network and adjacent development. The configuration will adequately accommodate current daily traffic as well as future traffic conditions that would include the extension of James Garner Boulevard northward to Flood Avenue and allowance for 20 percent growth in traffic above what is currently experienced. There are both positive and negative aspects to this conversion.
The costs to implement the two-way conversion of Main and Gray streets includes predominantly the costs of adding the necessary opposing direction traffic control signals and railroad crossing signals. Additional costs include additional improvements for establishing the railroad quiet zone, including constructing raised medians at the two crossings. Some side street enhancements are also needed to improve approach level-of-service. The currently programmed improvements to extend James Garner northward to Flood Avenue do not include any improvements south of Acres Street, so the improvements at the intersections with Main and Gray Street plus the widening to provide three lanes one the approaches to Main and Gray are included in this estimate. A summary of estimated costs is included as an attachment.
RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of Resolution R-1617-28 accepting the 2016 Main Street and Gray Street Two-Way Implementation Study, which establishes a framework and the cost of implementation for the City to explore how or whether to implement any or all the recommendations of the plan in the future.